Tag: James

  • Who Is James?

    Icon of James the brother of Jesus

    Yesterday morning, I was reading in the Epistle of James. As  Kathy and I discussed what I had been reading, the question of “who was James?” arose.

    What does the Bible say?

    James is identified as one of Jesus’ brothers. “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas? (Matthew 13:55, see also Mark 6:3)

    Jesus’s brothers did not believe. After this Jesus went about in Galilee. He would not go about in Judea, because the Jewswere seeking to kill him. Now the Jews’ Feast of Booths was at hand. So his brothers said to him, “Leave here and go to Judea, that your disciples also may see the works you are doing. For no one works in secret if he seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, show yourself to the world.” For not even his brothers believed in him.  (John 6:1-5)

    Jesus appeared personally to James after His resurrection. “Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles.” (1 Corinthians 15:7)

    He was a key player in the Jerusalem council when the issue of rules for gentile believers was debated. (Acts 15)

    Paul calls James an Apostle.  “Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and remained with him fifteen days. But I saw none of the other apostles except James the Lord’s brother.” Galatians 1:18-19

    Paul also refers to him as a pillar in the early church. “…James and Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given to me; they gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised.” Galatians 2:10

    James himself only identifies as a servant of Jesus. “James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: (James 1:1)

    Church history tells us that James was the first leader of the church in Jerusalem, effectively its first pastor. That comes through in the pastoral concern for his flock that shows in his letter.

    Church history tells us that he was most likely stoned to death by the Jews in the early 60s AD, a fate shared by Stephen and other martyrs.

    For me, James is a marvelous example of the grace of Jesus. The Lord took a hardcore unbeliever and transformed him into a willing servant and leader. The Apostle Paul gets mentioned often for being a hardcore Christian hater who was converted, but let’s not forget that Paul was not the only one.

    I pray for all the hardcore disbelievers (of which I was one) to come to Christ and that their zeal for the enemy might be converted into zeal for the Lord.

    Praise the Lord that He can soften the hardest heart.

    Hallelu Yah (Praise God)

    Be blessed, 

    Kevin

    Standing on the Shoulders of Giants
    The Gospel – the best news you will ever hear
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  • Sailing – Tossed about on the waves

    Mirror Dinghy in full sail

    Kathy and I were taking sailing lessons off the  Eastern coast of Canada’s Vancouver Island. The craft we were learning in were small, two person, 12′ mirror dinghies. Each dinghy was just big enough to hold a couple of people learning the fundamentals of sailing.

    We had to learn a whole new vocabulary. Inboard. Outboard. Astern. Alee. Port. Starboard. Athwartship. Booms. Halyard. Winch. Spar. Mast. Spreader. Rigging. I can still remember the words, but I would be hard pressed now to remember what they mean.

    The feel of the breeze and the saltwater on your face is quite invigorating. Nearly tipping over a few times because of poor sailing techniques is even more exhilarating. Getting hit with the mast, pinching your fingers in the ropes—it’s all part of the fun of learning.

    Learning the sailing techniques and then actually using them in the sea was an enjoyable challenge. 

    Learning to maximize the use of the wind. Learning to tack or zigzag to play the wind. Learning the hard way about the no-go zone winds … when the winds come at the right angle to leave your sails flapping or “luffed,” when you cannot go anywhere.

    Too many years have passed now, and I confess that I have forgotten most of what I learned that autumn. In order to sail again, I would have to start with beginner lessons and refresh my memory totally. It was a delightful experience. However, I am glad we invested the time. 

    Sailing is both an art and a science. It takes technical ability and finesse to do it well. A sailor must read the winds and the waves, all the while keeping the destination in sight and being aware of any potential danger spots.

    Scripture speaks frequently of ships, which is surprising in a way, since we seldom think of Israel as being a seafaring nation. Yet, her neighbors were sailors, and the people of Israel had their share of fishermen. We are familiar with Jonah’s maritime misadventure and Paul’s shipwrecks. 

    The Bible talks of seafaring traders and the exotic goods they brought. The disciples had a fearful time while on the Galilee in a storm, at least until Jesus rebuked both them and the storm.

    Even today, Israel maintains a navy as part of its national defense program. Although the Navy is not as prominent as the Army or Air Force, it still plays a vital role.

    When scripture speaks of being adrift or tossed about on the waves, the people of Israel understood the concept. It was not something foreign to them. 

    When James said in his letter:

    Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. James 2:1-8 NIV

    His readers understood the concept. Stay the course. Persevere. Hold fast. God will come through despite the storms of life.

    We need to do the same. We may or may not ever have been on the sea to see the effect of the waves, but we do know that life can brew up some nasty storms to rest us. When they come, persevere and trust in Him. He is the anchor that will hold you fast.

    Until next time … when the storms come, batten down the hatches, trust God, and sail on.

    Hallelu Yah / Praise God 

    Kevin

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